Hannah Höch was a German Dada artist. She is best known for her work of the Weimar period, when she was one of the originators of photomontage and collage. The only woman amongst the Berlin Dadaists, her collages and photomontages at a very early stage established a large variety of works on paper that were consistent in style and concept. What is not appreciated is how these media informed and inspired her paintings.

Her father, Johanne Höch, was born on 1st November 1889, the eldest of five brothers and sisters in Gotha, Germany. He was a senior employee in an insurance company.

Hannah Höch (ca. 1905)[1].

She began her art's training in 1912 at the School of Applied Arts in Berlin Charlottenburg under Harold Bengen, who took the class on glass design.

Hannah Höch (on the left, number 15) with Bengen's class at Art School (1912)[1].

The outbreak of World War I collapsed Hannah's previously well-tempered image of the world and made her acutely aware of political events and trends. In Gotha she served for a short time with the Red Cross and other charitable organizations. After the war she returned to Berlin and continued studying at the State Museum of Applied Arts in Emil Orlik's drawing class. The Director of the School was the architect Bruno Paul, who also used to draw for the satirical periodical - Simplicissimus.

It was in 1915 when her friendship with Raoul Hausmann (1886 - 1971) began. He was a Viennese artist, who had been living in Berlin since 1901. They were both enthralled with almost everything that Herwarth Walden showed in his gallery - 'Der Sturm' (The Storm). Up to 1916 Hausmann was a figurative Expressionist. However, since 1915 both Hausmann and Höch had been creating abstract watercolours and drawings.

Raoul Hausmann (1915)[1].

In 1916 Hannah was learning woodcut at the Museum of Applied Arts under Oskar Bangemann and in this year she made her first abstract collage ('White Cloud') from the stencils that are used in woodcut. In 1917 the writer and psycho-analyst Richard Huelsenbeck (1892-1974) who had studied medicine in Paris and Berlin, arrived in Berlin January 1917 from Zurich. Huelsenbeck observed that Expressionism was beginning to be fashionable, since all its energies were directed to furthering the retreat and exhaustion of the German spirit.

On 23rd of February 1918 Huelsenbeck gave the first Dada speech in Germany in the New Secession Room, which art dealer J.B. Neumann (1187-1961) made available. Although Hannah Höch did not participate directly in many Dada activities since her personal relation to the Berlin Dadaist was limited by her interaction with Hausmann, nevertheless she was one of the main protagonists of Dada in Berlin; it was Hausmann and her who invented photomontage. She herself viewed it as the most original and important contributions of the Berlin Dadaists. She recalled, 'I knew the technique as a child. There were, for instance, joke postcards with funny situations created by sticking different bits of photographs together. Some showed a bride and bridegroom confronted with problems and joys of their future married life and so on...We regarded ourselves as engineers, we maintained that we were building things, we said we put the work together like fitters'.

In 1919 the first Berlin Dada exhibition was held in J.B. Neumann's "Graphisches Kabinett" (Graphical Cabinet). The group who exhibited were: Hausmann, Höch, Grosz, Baader, Walter Mehring, Golychev, Stuckenberg and Deetjen. In June of that year the first issue of the periodical 'Der Dada' edited by Hausmann and Baader appeared. The Dada movement was well underway.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

IntroductionEls van Baarle and Cherilyn Martin have written an excellent book on textile and fibre art entitled: "Interpreting Themes in Textile Art" [1]. Els and Cherilyn are friends who I have known for many years.

Els is a textile artist specialising in contemporary batik, surface design and mixed media. You can view more of her work at - www.elsvanbaarle.com.

"Duet", Els van Baarle.
Batik on Cotton.
Courtesy of reference[1].

On the other hand, Cherilyn specialises in mixed media, experimental quilting and embroidery. You can view more of her work at - www.cherilynmartin.com.

Prior to the book being published by Batsford[1], I was honoured to be asked to provide a "Foreword" for the book. The "Foreword" below is a teaser as it only gives you a glimpse of what the book contains. You need to purchase the book in order that you can immerse yourself in their artwork and moreover, take advantage of their knowledge that they are gifting to you, dear reader, so to teach you techniques that will transform the art in your mind onto a textile and so make your fiber art more meaningful.

Marie-Therese's Foreword to "Interpreting Themes in Textile Art"Authors: Els van Baarle and Cherilyn MartinThe fibre art of Els van Baarle (NL) and Cherilyn Martin (UK/NL) spans more than two and a half decades and it represents a love affair with colour, images and textures on cloth, paper and other mixed media. Both have their own signature styles, but when they co-exhibit, there is a natural synergy between their works that is evident - each individual fibre artwork visions on a theme that energizes the other.

I had known of Els and Cherilyn’s art practice for many years. In 2009 I met Els when she was a participating artist in the exhibition that I curated, ‘ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions’, which toured Australia until 2011 and included her work 'Nothing is the Same I & II'. In September of 2011 I was delighted to meet both Els and Cherilyn who, along with myself, were workshop tutors at a five day textile/fibre conference, ‘Cloth Arts@Hunters Hill, Sydney’, which was organized by Glenys Mann of Fibre Arts Australia. Our paths crossed once again in October 2014 when I opened the exhibition, ‘Memory Cloth. Rememberings in Textile’ by four internationally renowned textile artists - Els van Baarle, Cherilyn Martin, Cas Holmes and Glenys Mann at the Museum de Kantfabriek in Horst, The Netherlands.

Els and Cherilyn have exhibited and given workshops in Europe, North America and Australasia and so they are well known across a myriad of artistic landscapes. Art making as well as informing and teaching the current and next generation of artistic practitioners ensures that the techniques they have mastered and the concepts that they have explored will linger beyond their own generation.

Art can be created out of ignorance and by chance, but this book aims far higher. It aims to link your life experiences, your knowledge, your exploration of language, myths, cultures, symbols and motifs to your ability using fibre, and by fibre, I am using the broadest definition possible - from cloth to paper to thread. Of course in the process, colour and texture are an integral part of the development of a concept.

You need to be aware of all the rules and so the Chapter One gives you a comprehensive compositional and optical road map, not to inhibit your creative processes but rather to make you conscious of which one(s) you choose to break. To get the effect you have to know the cause!

"Trees" (detail), Els van Baarle.
Wool, silk, wax dye and print.
The artwork was developed by using a "mind map".
Courtesy of reference[1].

Imagery on fibre can be made incredibly smooth and flat as were the painted and printed images created by Pop Artists such as Roy Lichtenstein - ‘Drowning Girl’ (1963). On the other hand, fibre art can have texture, which gives it an extra dimensionality. Chapter Two is inspired by inscriptions and gravestone imagery and explores this dimensionality from the rubbing process, to embroidery, to the use of crayons and transfer paints.

"Graven Images", Cherilyn Martin.
"This ArtCloth was made in response to details on the headstone of a family grave."
Courtesy of reference[1].

The fascination with images, typography and the texture that exposed walls offer has been with us since the dawn of time, from the huntsman’s marks made on cave walls, to drawings and obscenities carved on clay found in the excavations of Pompeii, to modern day graffiti and the urban, architectural landscapes that surround us. Both artists give valuable insights into their own personal interpretations and working methodologies, which incorporate these themes in Chapter Three.

"Nothing is the Same 1 & II", Els van Baarle.
Batik on Cotton.
Courtesy of reference[1].

Chapter Three’s fascination is continued with the walls of Pompeii in Chapter Four, where it is placed in a historical and cultural setting. Although the voices of the dead can no longer be heard, their endeavours - such as their architecture, the way they lived, how they decorated, their cultural mores - enables a themed artistic exploration in today’s world using techniques and ideas in fibre art.

"Parete #6" (detail), Cherilyn Martin.
Made from batik cotton baptist (cambric).
Inspired by the ruins of Pompeii.
Courtesy of reference[1].

Life experiences play an important part in pursuing artistic endeavours. Can you project artistically ‘grief’ because of a loss, or wondrous excitement because of a birth. Memory plays a part in interpreting these emotional responses as we all accumulate personalized, unique imagery, experiences and sensations during our life times. Preserving memory when it comes to artistic translation can be difficult. Chapter Five gives two in-depth perspectives on how our sensory track can be mastered to create rich visual stories about personal memories.

Books are becoming electronic but their soul lies within fibre and not in a projected computer language. The smell of the binder, the texture of the paper and the visual concept that unfolds before us, makes us want to see, feel and read and so know the art form. Chapter Six gives practical insights with respect to technique in order to make a three-dimensional, readable and viewable art form.

"Pages #1", Cherilyn Martin.
Fused sheets of plastic, with Spunfab, Angelina fibres and oil paint trapped in the layers and with fusible film laminated on the surface.
Courtesy of reference[1].

Art can be made from found objects and every day materials. For example, El Anatsui is an African artist who works with repurposed materials including wood, aluminium printing plates, tin boxes and liquor bottle tops. Chapter Seven explores the use of common found objects and how they can be incorporated into fibre artworks employing numerous surface design techniques and concepts.

This book is special since it gives practical insights into creating complex imagery and texture using a large range of fibre material. I have purposely omitted in this post any of the authors "how to do" tips and technique descriptions. The author’s want to arouse your curiosity, and engage you in an artistic conversation where you, the reader, will understand what concepts and techniques in fibre art will work for your artistic expression. Sure you need to know the fundamentals, but in learning and exploring your art using this book you have fun as well!

IntroductionThere are three basic ingredients (as opposed to definitions) that all artworks possess: (i) they need to be “engaged”; (ii) they are non-functional; (iii) they are aesthetic. Wearable Art is “Art” when placed in an art context but when it is not placed in an art context, its functionality obscures the act of engagement. My ArtCloth scarves are wearable art. My scarves have been created using a range of fabrics and various hand dyeing and hand printing techniques. I am particularly fond of silk due to its ability to impart rich, luscious, intense colors and yet retain its lustre and luxurious handle when dyed and printed using various media. My scarves are a unique creation, never to be repeated in color, tone or overall design. Some of the design elements may re-appear in other scarves, but the overall colors, printing/overprinting and design features is what ensures their uniqueness as a one-off specialty wearable art item to covet.

My ArtCloth scarves are unique, are imbued with color, texture and multi layers. They are comfortable to wear and are thoughtfully designed, dyed, printed and finished. Special care instructions are included with each scarf.

Inspiration/MethodThe first Prime Minister of India - Nehru - said to his daughter Indira Gandhi: “Be Brave - the rest will follow!” Underlying all of my work is this drive to take risks - to create bold, edgy, contemporary designs and so let my adrenaline drive my artwork. Nonetheless, discarding mainstream design elements is not in itself inspirational, but rather it is an important part of my inner core - to drive my work to create edgy design elements. Urban and landscape environments inform my images and works. My contemporary urban landscape themes include my interpretation of post-graffiti work. I operate my artistic skill set on these thoughts to project rich and vibrant landscapes on the cloth medium. The ArtCloth scarves I create rely heavily on researching design elements consistent with my worldview to create images from the “utten welt” and/or from life-forms threatened with respect to survival. I employ various surface design techniques to create the imagery for my scarves. These techniques include the initial image/mark making processes of drawing and designing which are followed by dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stenciling, stamping, screen printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibres. I have been honoured to receive numerous international awards for my printed ArtCloth textiles.

My scarves are available in various galleries and art & craft outlets throughout Australia. For example, in the Hunter Valley (Australia) they are available from Cessnock Regional Art Gallery. They are also available via specialty artisan Hand Made Art and Design Markets and via my Art Quill Studio. Please email me at - Marie-Therese - for further information.

If you find any post on this blog site useful, you can save it or copy and paste it into your own "Word" document etc. for your future reference. For example, Safari allows you to save a post (e.g. click on "File", click on "Print" and release, click on "PDF" and then click on "Save As" and release - and a PDF should appear where you have stored it). Safari also allows you to mail a post to a friend (click on "File", and then point cursor to "Mail Contents On This Page" and release). Either way, this or other posts on this site may be a useful Art Resource for you.

The Art Resource series will be the first post in each calendar month. Remember - these Art Resource posts span information that will be useful for a home hobbyist to that required by a final year University Fine-Art student and so undoubtedly, some parts of any Art Resource post may appear far too technical for your needs (skip over those mind boggling parts) and in other parts, it may be too simplistic with respect to your level of knowledge (ditto the skip). The trade-off between these two extremes will mean that Art Resource posts will hopefully be useful in parts to most, but unfortunately may not be satisfying to all!

Knit-Pile FabricsPile knits look like woven pile fabrics, but they are more pliable and stretchy. Knitted pile fabrics are classified as circular knit or sliver knit.

Loop-pile cable-knit jumper.

Circular Knits
Circular knits usually have cotton-backing yarns comparable in size to those used in medium weight fabrics and low twist, larger-sized, face yarns. The fabrics are terry cloth and velour.

Knitted terry cloth is often used for baby towels and wash cloths because it is absorbent but softer than woven terry. Because it does not conform to shape as well and thus does not look good on the rack, towels and washcloths for adults are seldom made of knitted terry.

100% Cotton knitted terry Infant saliva towels baby pinafore.

Velour, a fashion fabric used in men’s apparel in the 1960s, is a cut-pile knit.

Hugo Boss men’s black label basic velour sweat-suit in medium grey.

Sliver Knits
Sliver knits are used to produce imitation fur fabrics. The knitted back makes the fabric more pliable with better draping characteristics. It has only been since 1955 that fabrics with true fur-like appearance and texture have been available. They have a luxurious hand and dense face of the furs but are much lighter in weight and require no special storage. Until recently, special care in cleaning was necessary because the heat sensitivity of the fibers caused shrinkage and fabric distortions when fabrics were cleaned in the normal manner. By using a cold tumble dryer and combing the pile rather than steam pressing, the fabrics can be successfully cleaned.

Sliver knit fox fur suit jacket.

High pile knits are made from acrylic, mod-acrylic or olefin fibers or blends of combinations of these fibers. The back is knit from fibers (Dynel) that will shrink during the finishing operation to make the pile surface more compact. There is a trend to use cotton for the back to reduce the cost.

Fashion designed acrylic faux fur fabrics.

The background is knit with yarns but the pile is made from a sliver. Fibers from the sliver are picked up by the needles along with the ground yarn and are locked into place as the stitch is formed.

Grey mod-acrylic Cossack hats.

The steps used in finishing these fabrics are: (i) heat-setting, which shrinks the ground fabric and shrinks and expands the diameter of the individual face fibers; (ii) tigaring – a brushing operation which removes surplus fiber from the face of the fabric; (iii) shearing; and (iv) electrifying, a process that combs the fibers first in one direction and then in another by grooved heated cylinders that rotate at high speed. This process imparts high luster to the pile. The electrifying process may be repeated many times to develop the required finish.

Oleg Cassini vintage olefin faux fur coat.

Fur like fabrics are used for shells (the outer surface) or liners (the inner surface) of coats and jackets. The table below shows the difference between shells and liners that are made by sliver knitting, weaving and tufting.

Comparison of fur like fabrics.

Notice in the above table that the difference is mainly one of weight, the shells being heavier than the liners. In actual use the dividing line is less distinct since because shell fabrics are used as liners in expensive garments and liners are used as shells in low-priced items.

In sliver knits, the fibers from the sliver are already loose on the surface, while in the tufted and woven constructions the fibers must be opened or teased from the yarns. A denser pile can be obtained because the amount of face fiber is not limited by yarn size or distance between the yarns as it is in tufting and weaving.

46% Mod-acrylic, 37% acrylic, 17% polyester faux fur.

In tufting 5/64-gauge machines are used for apparel pile fabrics. This gauge is the distance in inches between tufting needles. Normal tufting specifications on this gauge call for 10 to 11 stitches per inch and a pile height of one eighth of an inch.

Woven fabrics are usually a half an inch or less in pile height. They are less pliable than knits or tufted fabrics and rows of tufts sometimes cause the fabric to “grin” (i.e. the back shows) when the fabric is folded at the edges.

In 2019 the Newcastle Printmakers Workshop in Newcastle, NSW, Australia will celebrate 40 years ! 40 current and past NPW printmakers have been selected to celebrate this 40 year milestone anniversary. The launch exhibition will be held at Art Systems Wickham, Newcastle, 8-17 November 2019. Marie-Therese is one of the participating printmakers contributing to this historical event.Click on the logo image to get further updates about the 40/40 exhibition concept, program and events.

Published in Studio La Primitive Arts Zine

Marie-Therese was invited by the editor of Studio La Primitive Arts Zine, Robyn Werkhoven, to be a 'Feature Artist' in the Arts Zine which features articles and interviews with national and international visual artists, poets and writers and glimpses into their world of art and their creative processes. The article, which features Marie-Therese’s art practice and career is titled, ' A Mapping of Anthropogenic Change' has been published in the May 2018 Issue 25 of the Studio La Primitive Arts Zine (the article appears on page 86). Click on the Image to get to the article.

2018 CrossXpollinatioN Exhibition - Journey's

Marie-Therese was a 'Feature Artist' at the '2018 CrossXpollinatioN' exhibition which was themed 'Journey's'. Her ArtCloth Installation 'Timelines: An Environmental Journey' was exhibited at the Colac Otway Performing Arts & Cultural Centre, Colac, Victoria from the 7th - 29th July 2018. The installation featured works employing her signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on synthetic fibres.Click on the image to see her installation.

About Me

I work full time as a studio artist, researcher, author, curator, speaker and tutor. I am also the Director of Art Quill Studio, The Education Division of Art Quill & Co. Pty. Ltd. at Arcadia Vale, NSW, Australia. I teach as a casual lecturer at The University of Newcastle (Australia) and I am the former co-editor of Textile Fibre Forum art magazine.

Employing my signature techniques I specialize in the area of ArtCloth, artist printmaker books and limited edition prints.

Followers

My Most Visited Posts"When Rainforests Ruled" - ArtCloth Exhibition

My Scarves @ The Australian Craft Awards

My unique, hand dyed and printed silk rayon velvet and pashmina scarves are available for purchase. To purchase a scarf please contact - studio@artquill.com.au.Click on the image above to see my velvet ArtCloth scarves.

Welcome to Art Quill Studio

Art Quill Studio is a trademark of Art Quill & Co P/L, which is an Australian Company with no subsidiaries outside of Australia.

This blog will be dedicated to arousing world wide interest in: (a) using the medium of cloth to create a work of art; (b) promoting works on paper; (c) exploring concepts that are the basis of my current artworks; (d) offering opinions on art issues; (e) providing art resources to the public at large.